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pyrethrins on flowers
I have recently noticed alot of bugs on my plants, mainly aphids and thrips, although something tells me the aphids are inflicting the most damage. usually I would mix a weak solution of dish soap and water and spray the plants, but this year I decided to try something different.
I bought some Scotts EcoSense RTU Insecticide. it's basically the cheap equivalent of Safer's "End All", a pyrethrins based insecticide without PBO or nasty chems.
the bottle discourages overuse, but does not mention anything about spraying directly on flowers. I noticed for some reason the aphids seem to love sitting deep in the fresh growth of new nodes (cocksuckers better not be laying eggs), which is pretty close to the preflowers.
would the pyrethrins harm the flowers at all? should I avoid spraying them, or just not worry about it?
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pyrethrins on flowers
personally i use 1 teaspoon 100% neem to 32 oz of warm water with a couple drops of dish soap this recipe i took from stinky, i dont like putting anything that isnt all organic on my ladies
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pyrethrins on flowers
Neem and pyerthrin both have their applications, and both are actually organic (assuming the extraction process falls under guidelines for organic production).
Neem is the best organic PREVENTATIVE I can think of for many problems, but has a very foul odor and should not be applied directly to the buds themselves. Coriander oil and citrus oil products are somewhat less effective, but similar, and are less gross smelling. I'd switch to one of these within 3 weeks of harvest.
Pyrethrin (derived from a species in the chrysanthemum family) is an instant knock-down insecticide that breaks down in just days in intense light. You can apply it directly to the buds IF it has no activators like piperonyl butoxide in it. Don't do this less than 2-3 weeks before harvest, though. However, I would avoid doing that, as it's usually dissolved in water and water on buds = bad. Use it on the leaves, and for fighting bugs late in flower, try a pure pyrethrin room fogger/bomb like Doktor Doom.
Or skip the pesticides and release some ladybugs. They are the #1 predator for dealing with an aphid problem.
How the heck you get aphids in there to begin with? Got some tomato or pepper plants inside your house? Usually aphids leave weed alone indoors.
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pyrethrins on flowers
I forgot to mention- aphids are soft-bodied and very vulnerable to controls compared to other critters. Insecticidal [safer's] soap and diatomaceous earth both work VERY well on them by damaging their carapace and drying them out.